AI workplace surveillance tools share employee data with hundreds of third parties
Employer surveillance applications widely used across thousands of US companies reportedly shared employee personal data with hundreds of third parties without clear disclosure, according to university research. Workers reported detailed monitoring of task performance and communications that raised privacy concerns.
What happened
Research by Vanderbilt University, Northeastern University, and the University of California at Berkeley found popular surveillance applications shared employee names, email addresses, and personal data with hundreds of third-party tech companies and data brokers without clear disclosure.
Thousands of employers track worker location, task performance, and communications using surveillance tools expanded during the coronavirus pandemic, which monitor activity and access cameras on company-issued devices.
Reported impact
A pharmacist employed at a medical clinic reported that her employer tracked the length of her phone calls and appointments, and questioned in performance evaluations why she took time with each patient, saying 'Everything was counted. How many minutes you're on the phone.'
Workers have raised concerns over how much privacy employees have surrendered through employer surveillance, including monitoring occurring outside the workplace at home.
Index analysis
Recent developments in artificial intelligence and data science allow employers to compile detailed dossiers to penalize staff or predict worker actions.
Workers with the least power in labor markets tend to be testing grounds for more intrusive forms of data collection.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.